Silver Lining
by Hakkai Suiren
Summary: "What's a mudblood like you doing in Slytherin?" Dumbledore calls in reinforcements to protect Harry and his castle. Bonds are strained and put to the test, as others are formed and strengthened. NejiTen.SasuSaku.HHr.SLOW-MOVING. Watch Konoha 13 use magic
1. Bloody Parchment!

Hello to all interested readers out there! Thank you so much for giving my story a chance to be read, and I hope I won't disappoint you. Just some quick things before you continue on... The pairings are as follows: Sasuke/Sakura, Neji/Tenten, and Harry/Hermione.

::EDIT:: The 3 above pairings are permanent, and will NOT be changed. At all. Thank you. All other pairings are subject to be changed or played with.

This will be Tenten and Draco Malfoy centric so... if you dislike either of them then I advise you to turn back, but if you are still willing to read then please go on ahead! Thank you again!

::Please Note:: This is a revised, edited, and expanded version of the first chapter. I felt that it was not a strong beginning so I redid the first half, and copy and pasted the ending.

Genre: Romance, Friendship, Drama, Dark

Pace: Slow-moving. I'm planning on having Silver Lining as a part series.

_Italic text_s are thoughts, words in another language, emphasis, flashbacks (the flashbacks will be separated by lines and they come in big sections of italics), spells, or quotes.

"_Italic texts with quotations"_ are people speaking in another language (most likely Japanese), and any type of spells. -Dialogue-

"Quotations with regular font" are people speaking in English. -Dialogue-

**Bold texts **are just indications that there will be a change in character point-of-view.

**DISCLAIMER**: I don't own either Naruto or Harry Potter. They belong to Kishimoto and J.K Rowling (respectively).

* * *

Silver Lining

Chapter One: The Parchment

**Dumbledore**

18th of June - Friday

He sat. He stared. And he frowned.

The _Daily Prophet_ lay folded before him. '**Boy-Who-Lived Wins Tri-Wizard Tournament**' blared out from the front page along with an ironic picture plastered below the title. A boy and a young man had their arms around each other's shoulders in an act of camaraderie. Their smiles were a bit forced, but it was a smile nonetheless. It was indecent, the paper. It was full of false hopes, blatant lies, and immeasurable greed.

The paper itself was a symbol of loss; his loss, the Diggory's loss, the entire wizarding world's loss, and the loss of Harry's innocence. Voldemort was on the rise, and the Ministry paper had the audacity to cover it up with gossip columns about the Boy-Who-Lived. They used Harry's fame to redirect any attention about the death of Cedric Diggory, and surprisingly or unsurprisingly the 'Four Champions' became the 'Three Champions' without question.

Dumbledore closed his eyes for a moment.

He needed to think. He needed organize his thoughts. He needed to protect Harry Potter.

The Headmaster let out a tired sigh, opened his eyes, and picked up a letter from the corner of his desk.

_To Albus __Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore,_

_The Ministry has heard of your search for a new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. We have agreed to send in one of our ministry officials as a way to help the school. We…_

The elder man snorted as he crumpled both the letter and the newspaper into a ball, and promptly threw it into the fire. They knew nothing, and they think they have the gall to try and insert one of their pitiful pawns into his school. Never. But the Headmaster was out of options. Every friend, acquaintance, and colleague of his declined the position. He would have to accept the ministry official.

As he stared into the raging fire, Dumbledore's mind flashed with tainted memories.

_Harry was calling for help as he clutched onto the unmoving body of Cedric._

_The screams that permeated the arena as everyone discovered one of the Hogwarts champion was dead._

_Harry Potter was walking aimlessly around the castle before the end of the year._

Dumbledore shook his head from delving further into his negative thoughts. He needed to be strong for his students, and for the wizarding world. But he could help but think that their world has become such a disgrace as his eyes roamed through the pictures displayed on his large desk, before landing on a peculiar photo.

"…Ah, Old friend. I wonder what you would do in a situation like this." Dumbledore gingerly brought up a beautiful frame made of deep mahogany wood and stared fondly at the photograph.

At that moment a surge of fire appeared to reveal a gorgeous bird by the name of Fawkes. The red phoenix let out a calming tune for the old professor and nipped his fingers before tapping the glass protector. A twinkle sparked in his eyes before Dumbledore settled the picture onto the desk and gave Fawkes a soft pat on the head. His solemn mood had taken a positive turn. He then began searching through the various drawers of his workspace in a fevered manner.

"Hm… Now where did I put it?" He continued to move things around before finally letting out a frustrated comment, "Blast it! Where is that bloody parchment?"

Through all his loud scuffling and mild determination, Dumbledore did not hear his office door being opened until his name came out in a high-pitched shriek. "Albus!"

The headmaster winced at the accusing tone before ascending his lowered position under his desk. _Oh dear… She heard me. _Dumbledore proceeded to stand to his full height before straightening his pointed hat, and patted out the dust from his robes. Then in a calm manner he addressed his Deputy Headmistress as if he was not caught cursing, "Minerva! How good to see you. Is there something that concerns you?"

"Besides your blatant display of language," she shot him a stern look, "And messy office. I am worried about Mr. Potter and the lack of security! How could you hire a fake? Every year Mr. Potter has to deal with some sort danger. A possessed man in his first year, that ancient basilisk for his second, then a werewolf in third year_,_ and Barty Crouch Jr. during his fourth year!" McGonagall drew a breath and narrowed her eyes expecting an answer, and a damn good one.

By the end of her tirade Dumbledore smiled gleefully at McGonagall as if a child with a new and expensive toy. McGonagall looked a bit shocked at his twinkling eyes before recovering and raised a wrinkled eyebrow at his elated look. Sensing that Dumbledore had a solution to her concerned dilemmas, McGonagall strode across the office and took a seat in one of the unoccupied chairs.

Dumbledore followed his colleague's lead and sat in his tall armchair, "Kind as always, Minerva dear. Your well-placed concern with Mr. Potter has been solved. And as for Profess-," McGonagall gave an unlady-like snort, "Forgive me, as for Mr. Moody it was he that I interviewed, not Barty Crouch Jr. And it surprises me that he was even ambushed. You know how he is Minerva."

The Head of Gryffindor merely nodded her head and continued to ask, "Alright then, how will you protect Mr. Potter? More Aurors?"

"Oh heavens no, Minerva! I wouldn't want to leave the Ministry without any sort of defense now that Voldemort is back." Dumbledore's face contorted into an affronted look and then of mirth, "The people I will hire are better!"

His eyes were daring McGonagall to ask him who were better than Aurors. A moment of silence took place before the stern witch gave in and asked, "Albus… Who, may I ask, can be better than an Auror?"

As soon as she finished her question Dumbledore exclaimed with his arms spread out, "Ninjas, my dear!"

She blinked, "Ninjas? That's preposterous! Albus, surely you don't believe in such legends do you? "

"On the contrary, my dear. They undeniably exist." McGonagall sent him a skeptical glance and then Dumbledore sighed; his happy aura dwindled down to a tired state, "Minerva, what I say is the truth. Ninjas exist and to be frank I am beginning to feel, as the muggles say, burned out.

I fear that we can no longer depend on either the Ministry, as they have grown corrupt, or ourselves. We are simply too low on numbers. And who else is left to help us? The community? They have attached themselves to the peace that has blessed us these past years and are ignorant of the signs that Voldemort has thrown at their faces."

At the end of his speech McGonagall's face softened as if seeing Dumbledore in a new light. She saw an old man, wiser and more jaded than any men or women she had met in her life. She stood up from her seat and inquired with a gentle voice, "Alright then, how are we going to come in contact with these ninjas?"

With a new gleam in his eyes Dumbledore replied, "I have a scroll of theirs. It was given to me before I figured out a way to leave their… world, I should say."

"World? Do you mean to say that you have stumbled upon another dimension?" McGonagall stared at him with interest.

Dumbledore nodded once, and made a hand gesture to the seat that she had previously occupied. "Another world indeed. Do you remember when I went missing for three years, Minerva?"

"Why of course! I was absolutely enraged when you left, and without a single word too! We all thought you were dead." The Deputy took her seat again, "Is that where you have been? In that other world filled with ninjas?"

"Quite right my dear!" Dumbledore unfurled the scroll, and scanned its contents before sending a gleeful stare to McGonagall, who stared at him expectantly. "Well then... I must be off!"

The old man stood from his seat, and began to draw a circle etched with symbols with his wand. His unexplained actions caused McGonagall to jump from her chair, and raced to his side, "Wait! Wait! Are you really leaving now? You have yet to explain everything Albus!"

"In due time dear Minerva. See you in a couple of days!" And with that said Dumbledore jumped through a light blue portal which had transformed from the circled drawing.

* * *

Hello again! I hope everyone enjoyed the first chapter. I know it's kind of short, but I didn't want to give out anything yet. Just to let everyone know... Dumbledore is a grandfather figure, not that manipulative old man that everyone is writing about (yes! even though the books are hinting at it, but they have disappointed me).


	2. Essence

Hello! Thank you to all the people who gave me reviews, and added my story to either their favorite or alert lists. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! -_Ahem_- Going on with the announcements…

I would like to inform everyone that this is a SLOW-MOVING fiction, and it is obviously AU. Uhm… Heads up on the stationary plot, the school year won't begin in another 4-5 chapters. Sorry!

The next few chapters are information-giving chapters, and their primary purpose is to help set up a few things to solidify… some other stuff. Hehe! I'm trying so hard not type anything that gives everything away.

**DISCLAIMER**: I don't own Harry Potter (if I did Harry would have ended up with Hermione), or Naruto (everyone would have their happy ending).

* * *

Silver Lining

Chapter Two: Essence

**Dumbledore**

Stepping through a portal and apparating are completely different things altogether, but Dumbledore did not know which method of transportation was better as they both sicken the traveler. While apparating from place to place, wizards would describe it as being forced through an extremely small tube of some sort. Traveling by a portal, as Dumbledore would say, is disorienting since the traveler's body is being spun out of control; not knowing which way is which.

By the time Dumbledore came to, he found himself lying on lush green grass and everything was out of focus. His head was spinning, and he could not move any part of his limbs; it was as if the gravity in this world had unexplainable large amounts of pressure pushing his body to the ground. But there was no time to dawdle; time is ticking by faster in Hogwarts.

The Headmaster closed his eyes and focused on breathing. Slowly he felt the pressure waning away, and when Dumbledore felt the suffocating feeling end he stood to survey his surroundings. The trees were large and healthy, and the sun had bits of its rays shining through the leaves. It was beautiful. But Dumbledore did not know where he was until he saw a dirt road with a caravan filled with people just yards away.

A giddy and nostalgic feeling came up as he recognized the clothing the civilians wore, but he smashed it down and began heading towards the slow-moving travelers. Before he revealed himself Dumbledore took his wand and transfigured his clothing similar to the travelers, then he pointed his wand to his throat and said, "_Lingua reddo_."

Dumbledore stepped out from the shadows and yelled out, "_Excuse me!"_

One of the men walking beside the last caravan stopped and narrowed his eyes at Dumbledore, "_Yes?"_

"_I'm sorry, but I'm a bit lost. If you would be so kind as to tell me where we are, and which direction Konoha is?" _Dumbledore stood tall, and ignored the man's cautiousness.

"_Yer an old man and yer dun 'no where Konoha is?" _One of the younger man's hands made a slow movement towards his sheathed weapon, "_Yer kinda suspicious ain't ya? What are ye'—a bandit pertend'in to be an old man? Where yer posse?"_

The long sword glinted in the sunlight, but Dumbledore was not threatened and spoke with authority, "_Young man, I am merely asking where I am and where Konoha is. As you can see… I am an unarmed and frail man."_

Still wary of Dumbledore the man tightened his grip on his weapon, but answered nonetheless, "_We jus' left Konoha, and it's a few hours walk down the path. Yer'll see the gates a coupla' miles away."_

With a nod of his head and a pleasant thank you, Dumbledore walked in the direction where the travelers just left. His movement was unhurried and seemed leisure, but once Dumbledore was sure he was a distance away from the man did he close his eyes and apparated with a picture of large gates in his mind.

* * *

When Dumbledore opened his eyes, he was hidden in the shadows of the trees again, but instead of seeing all forest he saw the towering gates. He stepped onto the dirt path, and continued on his way to the opened gates where a pair of chūnin stood with their arms loose at their sides, ready to pull a weapon out if need be. Once arriving, the chūnin blocked the Headmaster's way, and demanded his identification papers.

Although slightly irritated by the delay, Dumbledore produced the scroll he had previously used to transport him to this other world, "_Please excuse this old man, but I don't have any identification papers. I hope this scroll will be sufficient to allow me passage into the village."_

One of the chūnin took the scroll and began to open it, while the other man questioned Dumbledore, "_What is your business here? And I cannot allow you to pass if you do not have the necessary papers to travel."_

"_I am seeking the Sandaime Hokage. I wish to request a mission from him. It is of urgent matter."_ Dumbledore bore his stare into the chūnin questioning him; he did not want to be turned away when all he had to do was apparate to the now visible Hokage Tower, but if he did then he would be marked as an enemy.

The ninja let out a tired sigh and was about to respond, when his companion gave back the scroll to Dumbledore, _"You're permitted to enter, but I will escort you to see the Hokage."_ He turned to his partner, "_Kotetsu, stay here and continue guarding. I'll be back in half an hour."_

"_Wait! Why? Izumo!" _Kotetsu stamped his foot on the ground, "_That's not fair! I have to stay here and guard while you get to take a break! Aw… c'mon."_

_

* * *

_

As they were walking down a cemented path, Dumbledore and Kamizuki Izumo (as he introduced himself) caught a glimpse of a young woman with soft pink hair sitting on a stone bench, her expression dull. The sad look in her eye, and the seemingly lonely aura she exuded distinctively reminded Dumbledore of his little sister when she was about to go mad. Unconsciously he stopped to stare at her unmoving form.

"_That's Haruno Sakura._" Izumo stated as he stood by, and his eyes filled with pity.

Dumbledore only gave a nod to indicate that he was listening, but he continued to stare as if looking at someone else. Then a man appeared, his silver hair gleaming in the sunlight, and poked the girl on her forehead. Sakura's mouth was hanging open in shock as both of her hands flew to her aching brow.

A chuckled snort was heard from his escort, "_And that's Hatake Kakashi, her Genin mentor."_

In his mind's eye Dumbledore felt as if he was watching Aberforth teasing Ariana; it was the only way to get her to smile. Following that picture Dumbledore could have sworn he heard Sarutobi Hiruzen speaking to him.

_Remember Albus-san, the purpose of a teacher is to guide and protect his or her students, and to pass on their hopes and dream to them. But guidance and protection is the very essence of a teacher, leader, or a parent. Without it they can lead a child astray, causing pain and suffering to those around them._

Melodic laughter mixed with a deep chuckle woke Dumbledore from his daze. Sakura now had a charming smile on her face, and her eyes sparkled with happiness. With a shake of his head, and a sad smile adorning his features Dumbledore turned to Izumo, "_Shall we be on our way now, Kamizuki-san?"_

As they continued their way to the Hokage Tower Dumbledore took in all the sights the village had to offer. Children were running around with grins on their faces while the adults were fixing multiple houses and other buildings. Raising his head towards the Hokage Mountain, and letting out an amused chortle Dumbledore asked his guide, "_I take it that the Sandaime Hokage has retired already? Maybe I'll visit him when I have the time."_

Izumo's body stiffened, _"Er… Yeah. One of the Sannin is our Godaime Hokage."_

The way that Izumo suddenly felt uncomfortable did not escape Dumbledore's observation. It was curious, but before he had time to question him Izumo was already knocking on a wooden door. A frustrated voice yelled out, "_What is it?"_

"_Hokage-sama, it's Kamizuki Izumo. And I have someone here to see you."_

There was a pause before the Godaime replied, _"Izumo… Didn't I tell you to not let anyone disturb me for today?"_

"_Yes Hokage-sama, but-"_

Izumo's answer was cut short, _"I'm sorry Izumo, but I have an important meeting right now. Perhaps the client can return tomorrow."_

The chūnin sighed, and turned to Dumbledore with a grimace, "_Sorry Dumbledore-san, but as you heard already… Hokage-sama is busy at the moment."_

Dumbledore's lips turned to a frown, his eyes held a ferocious fire, and his voice, though calm, thundered with impatience, _"Kamizuki-san, please try again. My requested mission is very important, and time is something that I do not have."_

With his hands shaking slightly Izumo knocked on the door once more, _"H-Hokage-sama! Please forgive me, but this client is an associate of the Sandaime Hokage. He says his mission needs to be addressed immediately!"_

An item made of hardened clay shattered in the office, _"Send the client in, Izumo. And get back to your post immediately."_

After opening the door to the office, Izumo used a transportation jutsu and left. Dumbledore strode into the office, and gave a small bow, _"Hokage-sama, please excuse my insistence of having an immediate audience with you, but my requested mission is an emergency. I truly apologize about intruding in on your meeting."_

The Hokage stared at him with intense brown orbs before gesturing to a seat, which Dumbledore took with grace, _"Yes, I know. Well let's start off with introductions. I am Tsunade, the Godaime Hokage." _Then with a flick of her wrist she pointed to a shadow behind her, "_And this is Gaara, the Godaime Kazekage. Now_ _I want to know who you are and what your relation is to the late Sandaime Hokage."_

A feeling of great remorse and sadness enveloped Dumbledore for a second before he introduced himself, _"I am Albus Dumbledore, and my relationship with Sarutobi would be something akin to a good friend; we traveled together for some time during our youth. And I am deeply sorry to hear that Sarutobi has passed away…"_

Tsunade regarded the old man for a moment as if trying to remember something then she slammed her hands to her desk in recognition, _"You're that man that tagged along with my team and Sarutobi-sensei when I was a chūnin!"_

Dumbledore jumped in his seat from her sudden movement, _"Sarutobi… -sensei? That means you're… Oh my Merlin! Tsu-chan? You've grown child, and very beautiful I must say. How have you—"_

A deep and monotone voice interrupted, _"Hokage-sama, I think it is imperative that you discuss his mission request."_

Tsunade and Dumbledore were silent for a moment, having forgotten that Gaara was in the shadows. His arms were crossed loosely over his chest, and his Kazekage robes flowed behind him giving him a look of royalty rather than an imposing authority figure. Dumbledore recovered first, and cleared his throat.

"_Yes, yes. Thank you Kazekage-sama for reminding us of my mission." _Dumbledore straightened his posture, and leaned a bit forward, _"Hokage-sama, my mission would be classified as S-Rank, and I will need one team that consists of 11-17 year olds to act as students in my school to guard another student."_

The Godaime Hokage nodded, _"Guarding by use of espionage is usually an A-Rank mission. Why do you classify it as S-Rank, Dumbledore-san? This student of yours must be very important."_

"_Erm… Yes, of course," _Dumbledore eyed the red-head who continued to stay silent, "_… Is Kazekage-sama allowed to listen in on mission requests?"_

"_Oh! That's right… Hm…" _Tsunade turned her attention to Gaara, _"If I let you listen in on this mission would you consider it as a down payment to strengthen our alliance treaty? And of course I'll think of something more proper to complete the exchange. We can discuss your side of the treaty afterwards, will that be satisfactory?"_

The Kazekage merely nodded his head, and glided to the vacant seat next to the Headmaster, who then continued to explain the objectives for his mission, _"Hokage-sama, this may be hard to believe, but my school does not reside in this country or this world." _

Tsunade opened her mouth, but Dumbledore held out a hand requesting that she stay silent until the end, "_I am the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. My world, at the moment, is threatened by a Dark Wizard who goes by the name of Lord Voldemort. _

_He is targeting a student named Harry Potter, who has the power to defeat him. I also fear that a war is brewing and my forces, as powerful as they are, cannot hope to keep Voldemort's larger army at bay until his defeat. That is why I am asking for a team to guard Harry Potter, my school, and aide in the war."_

Tsunade pinched the bridge of her nose, and her brow furrowed, _"Dumbledore-san, I'm assuming that the mission will be long term, correct? And how big is your school?" _

"_Three years or less in my world, and about 2-3 months would have passed here. My school consists of a castle with large properties attached to it; it includes a lake and a forest as well. That is why I am eager to provide all the necessary information and return to my world as soon as possible. I am running on limited time."_

She rested her chin upon her hand, while the other flicked a stray hair out of her eyes. "_I guess we can work with a 2-3 month S-Rank mission. Now, I understand if it's one team guarding one student, but one team cannot possibly guard an entire school; let alone aide in a war. _

_And we're barely recovering from a war ourselves; I don't know how many teams of shinobi I can spare with the right age group you requested, and if their skills even qualify. Our 11-17 year olds are either Genin or recently appointed Chūnin, and they receive D, C, or B Rank missions only. Highly experienced Jōnin are usually the ones who take on S-Rank missions, and most of them are well over their mid-twenties. I also want you to think over how many teams you really need to protect a castle, and aide in your war. Then I will make the final verdict if we accept your mission or not."_

Slumped shoulders replaced Dumbledore's proud posture at the notion that his mission could be possibly rejected, but Sarutobi's beliefs reminded him that he cannot give up. His world, as corrupted as it can be, does not deserve to be in the hands of Lord Voldemort, and his students can be so much more if given the chance to grow. It was his responsibility to guide and protect his students; _all_ of them, no matter if they belonged to a Death Eater, muggle, or pureblooded family.

Dumbledore remained silent for a while, rethinking how many teams he wanted to hire. Tsunade was right. If he wanted to protect every one of his students, then there should be a team in every house. _The old protects the younger generation with their hopes and dreams instilled in them… because they are the future, right Sarutobi?_ With the fleeting thought in his head, he nodded with his decision.

"_Hokage-sama, you have my condolences regarding your losses, and I agree that I may have forgone the safety of all students for that of one. That is why I have decided to increase the number of teams to four, and when I am sure the war is about to begin – may I contact you to request back-up if we need any?"_

Brown orbs glinted, and the Godaime grinned, _"No problem Dumbledore-san. Four teams is the max I was willing to lend you. Now think of this as a favor to you, and Sarutobi-sensei; he would have lectured me if I had declined. And I have just the teams for you. Granted that they're all chūnin with a Jōnin and ex-ANBU operative – I think they'll fit your bill nicely. Now let's make this official, I accept – "_

"_Hokage-sama," _Gaara broke in,_ "I will join your shinobi in this mission."_

Dumbledore and Tsunade stared at him with surprise. The Kazekage did not look any bit disturbed by their confused expressions. His young face stayed emotionless with his eyes focused on Tsunade, awaiting her response to his statement.

When the blonde recovered from her shock, Tsunade glared at him, _"Kazekage-sama… this is my village's mission request and what about your village? You have your own duty to them as the Kazekage of Suna."_

Gaara remained stoic, _"I have already sent Temari and __Kankurō to retrieve my things, and I have also sent for… 'Konoha 13'. They should be here within an hour."_

_This little… brat! Who cares if he's the Kazekage? I'm going to wring his little neck…_ Tsunade tried to force herself to smile, but her lips only twitched in response, _"Temari and Kankurō are on their way already? And how do you know that I was going to send Konoha 13? You know what… never mind. What about your Council of Elders?"_

The quiet Headmaster observed Gaara with twinkling blue eyes.

"_Temari and Kankurō can handle them for me. And consider this your end of the alliance treaty."_

Tsunade sputtered, _"But – But I didn't suggest it! And if that's my part, what's yours?"_

"_Konoha 13 will be given dual citizenship in my village. And Temari likes your village's cuisine, while I would like to implement more taijutsu in our academy. That finishes our negotiations concerning the alliance treaty."_

Dumbledore watched with hidden humor as Tsunade continued to open and close her mouth like a fish until she slammed a fist to her desk and muttered quietly, _"… cheeky brat. Fine! I'll have Shizune bring the document while we get more details on the mission, and then we'll sign it. Now why in the world would you mention Temari liking our food, or why you're telling me your plans for the academy?"_

"_Akimichi Chōji and Rock Lee will act as bodyguards while they escort Temari and Kankurō to Suna. The Akimichi will trade recipes with our chefs, and Lee will help teach taijutsu to students in the academy for a month and a half. Afterwards they are free to return to Konoha."_

Before Tsunade could properly respond, her office door banged open to reveal Temari, who looked absolutely furious with her gritted teeth and narrowed eyes, and Kankurō, who stayed a few feet away from his sister.

"_Gaara! What's this talk about you going on a mission with Konoha? The Elders are going to use everything in their power to overthrow you." _Temari dropped Gaara's traveling pack, and crossed her arms.

"_You're early." _Gaara said while raising a non-existent eyebrow, then spoke in his I-am-the-Kazekage tone, _"Temari, you will act as temporary Kazekage, and Kankurō along with Akimichi Chouji and Rock Lee will act as advisors." _His siblings looked like they wanted to object, but he spoke again, _"Is there a problem?"_

They both shook their heads and walked to the far end of the room whispering to each other.

"_I bet Gaara forced his way to the mission just so he doesn't have to deal with signing papers!"_

_

* * *

_

As time passed by Dumbledore gave as much information as he could regarding Harry Potter and his adventures. Every detail was written into a scroll, and Shizune wrote furiously as the Headmaster transitioned into need-to-know information. In what seemed like a perfect timing Shizune sealed the scroll when a light knock was heard.

"_Shishou? Konoha 13 has assembled."_ Sakura opened the door and stepped inside, the others filing in after her.

Tsunade nodded when they all stood in a horizontal line in her office, _"Good. Konoha 13 with the exception to Rock Lee and Akimichi Chouji, I would like you all to meet Albus Dumbledore, your client for the next 2-3 months."_

Dumbledore stood from his seat and greeted them all with a smile, _"Hello 'Konoha 13'. It's a pleasure to be working with such talented individuals." _

With her hands clasped together beneath her chin Tsunade continued, "_This mission is S-ranked, and your mission briefing will done after you have reached your destinations. Do not let your guard down, and good luck. Make it back home safely."_

Everyone nodded in confirmation, but Lee raised his hand up in the air, "_Oh youthful Hokage-sama! I wish to ask you why I am not partaking in such a youthful mission."_

Tsunade sighed wearily, _"Because Lee… you and Chouji are required for another mission. It's an A-Rank mission to Suna. You are to escort Temari and Kankurō back to Suna as bodyguards, and then stay there for a month and a half as ambassadors of Konoha among other things. Now get going! Dumbledore doesn't have much time."_

"_Thank you so much Hokage-sama for your kindness." _Dumbledore bowed deeply before taking out his wand, and began drawing a similar circle in the air but this time the symbols were reversed. When the picture was done, it glowed to a bright blue before the circle grew larger and became almost tangible.

The members of Konoha 13 reflexively drew their weapons, but when they heard Tsunade's hysterical laughter they returned them to their pouches.

"_What the hell is that, Baa-chan?" _Naruto pointed at the swirling portal.

Dumbledore chuckled in amusement, while Tsunade threw her sake cup at the blonde, _"Didn't I tell you not to ask questions until you've all reached your destinations? Now hurry up and jump through damn-it!"_

When no one made an effort to go through the portal, Gaara took the initiative and stood before the portal. He gave a piercing stare towards his siblings before stepping into the vortex. Naruto, not wanting Gaara to show him up, followed after, and then one by one all of the shinobi went through the portal with slight trepidation. Dumbledore was last to go. He bowed again to Tsunade before taking a deep breath and hurled himself into the portal, which promptly popped out of existence.

* * *

I hope everyone liked this chapter, and sorry for the delay. But anyways… I have an outline done for the next chapter so look forward to it.

Also… Just to let everyone know, I suck at making things up like spells and that sort of stuff.

_Lingua reddo_ is one spell that I made up, and basically it allows the user to talk another language for a **limited** amount of time. _Lingua_ means language, _reddo_ means translate; both words are Latin and I took it from an online translator.

P.S: Please message me if you're confused about something, or if you think there is something wrong with the chapter. AND constructive criticism would be much appreciated. I hope to continue to improve my writing so that everyone can enjoy reading my stories. THANK YOU!


	3. Two Weeks

Hey reviewers! Thank you so much for the reviews and everything else. I am so sorry for the delay in update, but I wrote my longest chapter yet, ending with 11 pages! Yay!

And did anyone notice the new title? I felt that the original was just... blah, and I didn't think it would inspire anyone to want to read the story based on the title.

**DISCLAIMER**: I don't own Harry Potter (no one would have died - except for Voldemort, Umbridge, and Lucius Malfoy), or Naruto (Sasuke would have managed to get together with Sakura.)

* * *

Silver Lining

Chapter 3: Two Weeks

26th of June - Saturday

In front of a desolate and run-down house lay multiple bodies, unconscious. The first to wake was a young woman with her customary buns out of place, and her clothes ruffled. She turned her head to view her surroundings as well as check on the status of her comrades. All of them were free of external injuries, and the only things that were out of place were their clothing.

With swift hands she quickly untied her long hair, and rewound them properly. Just as she finished tying them her partner's eyes blinked open, and he rose from the ground. She watched him as he cautiously activated his Byakugan, and released his dōjutsu when he did not see nor felt any ill intent around the area.

"Neji," she said in greeting as he nodded, and began to wake their teammates.

After waking Sakura, Tenten eyed their client with a curious stare - not exactly knowing what to make of him. He was old, _very_ old, and yet he moved as if he was at least 40 years old which completely baffled her. Most of the elders back in the village had taken a liking to walking with a cane the moment they reached past 50 years, possibly 60 to 70 years if considered they were a ninja, which is highly unlikely – considering again their highly dangerous occupation.

Dumbledore stood before them, his eyes sparkling and twinkling behind half-moon spectacles.

When the entire team had been woken, Tenten noted that they all stood in a rough circle, but kept to their respective teams. Team Seven were settled in the middle including Gaara, who stood in the front next to Naruto, with Team Eight curved along the right side, and the remains of Team Ten and Team Gai to the left.

"_Greetings to you – again, I think this calls for a formal introduction. Once more, I am Albus Dumbledore the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, which you will all be attending –"_

"_Oi! Oyaji-san, why do we have to go to school? I thought this was a cool AND awesome S-Class mission?"_ Naruto piped up, and his face was contorted in a childish frown.

Sakura immediately slapped Naruto upside the head and hissed threateningly, "_Stupid! Let him finish, and don't be so rude. He's our client. Now apologize to him!"_ She turned immediately to Dumbledore with a sweet and apologetic smile on her face, all the while forcing Naruto to bow, _"I'm so sorry! Naruto's just an idiot. Ahaha…But he really is a great ninja."_

The rest of the group shook their heads in embarrassment even though every one of them had a small smile across their faces, with the exception to Shino and Sasuke. It was so Naruto to ask something like that in an insensitive manner, but not really meaning it. After the war - when Sasuke returned with his team- Naruto reverted back a little to his childish ways.

While Dumbledore let out an amused laughed at the pair's antics, Tenten let her eyes roam around the group. Although it was true that they have been called 'Konoha 13' due to their achievements together during the Allied War against Akatsuki, Tenten had not really known or associated with the younger teams until _after_ the war when all 13 of them were sent to suppress uprisings from multiple villages who had supported the Akatsuki.

Tenten contemplated her recent addition of friends – the girls particularly – as she continued to watch Sakura and Ino, who had made her way next to the pinkette, beat on Naruto; Hinata stood warily in the background wondering if she should step in to stop them.

It was endearing to actually have girls to talk to, and have a decent conversation about their male teammates and their personalities as well as strategic plans and weapons instead of which boy was the hottest and all that girlish nonsense. During the long missions Tenten had discovered that Ino and Sakura had a best-friend-slash-rivalry relationship going on, while Hinata was shy and more off to the side; however they were working on it. It wasn't until Konoha 13 went on their 3rd long term mission that Tenten began to talk and befriend them, mostly because of Sakura and Ino's arguments about some other thing which prompted them to find, drag, and ask her and Hinata about their opinions on the matter.

From then on the two light-haired girls managed to drag both Tenten and Hinata into their arguments, which then led to occasional invites to lunch. Consequently the lunch invites quickly became a weekly occasion when all four girls were conveniently in the village, and their relationship escalated to sleep-over nights every other month.

She smiled when the Headmaster finally stopped laughing, and ordered for their attention. Dumbledore was definitely a gentle and easy-going character, but had a dangerous power lying in him. He was a man to admire, and look up to – much like the Third Hokage.

"_Now that's all settled. Please introduce yourselves. Starting with you, young sir,"_ the old man said as he pointed to the right.

Shino uncrossed his arms, and bowed in respect before introducing himself. Hinata and Kiba followed his example with a slight variation; Hinata had stumbled on a word while Kiba said his name with charming arrogance. The introduction was long as it went from Kiba to Sasuke, and the rest of Team Seven introducing themselves: Sai, Sakura, and Naruto respectively. The members of Team Ten and Team Gai's introduction came out in an alternate fashion with Ino bowing and saying her name, then Tenten, Shikamaru, and Neji coming out last. Gaara had declined to introduce himself when bugged by Naruto saying that had yet to say his name.

"_It's a pleasure to meet you all. I suppose I should warn you that we have yet to go to my school because of the anti-_muggle_ ward, as such I think it is best that we… Er… you will all be staying at a local hotel in a small town called _Hogsmeade _which only has a Disillusionment Charm_." Dumbledore paused to confirm their agreement and continued, _"And since none of you will be able to get through the shield without actually having magic, I will conduct research and see if I can convert your chakra into magic as well as a permanent translation charm."_

Sakura, ever curious, raised her arm in question, _"A permanent translation charm, Dumbledore-san? Would this affect our speaking when we return home? And wouldn't it be advantageous for us to continue speaking our language while in your school? We don't even know our own mission objective to fully assess the use of a permanent translation charm."_

"_Well spoken Haruno-Hatake-san -"_

Sakura interjected, "_Just Hatake is fine_."

The old man nodded, and continued, _"…but everything will be told in due time. I believe Kazekage-sama has your mission scroll. Once I finish my research I assure that I will cast a translation spell so that you will not lose your native language. Now, are there any other questions before we depart?"_ Dumbledore stared and nodded when no one else spoke up.

They trekked on a dirt path that winded down a hill that overlooked the small village of Hogsmeade. When they were at the edge of the forest, Dumbledore stopped them and began to transfigure their clothing into something muggle teenagers usually wore. Konoha 13 was stunned and excited at their first demonstration of magic as well as their new and seemingly fashionable clothes.

Naruto eagerly bounced on his feet, _"Show us more! Show us more!"_

Dumbledore flashed him a smile and pointed his wand to his throat, _"Alright, alright. Calm down Uzumaki-san. What I will do first is cancel my translation spell, and in turn cast it on everyone else. Please keep in mind that it is limited to last 24 hours. Ready?" _Everyone looked in anticipation. _"Finite Incantatem."_

One by one Dumbledore casted the translating charms. When he was done, Dumbledore watched the thrilled group, who were testing their new language, with bitter happiness. _You've raised your village well Sarutobi. I wish I could have done the same._ With a clap of his hands and a smile on his face Dumbledore began to lead them into the village when his eyes landed on the daily newspaper stand. It was the 26th of June, exactly one week and one day after his departure.

He frowned and turned to the group, _"It seems I have returned quite late."_

Konoha 13 was puzzled when their client urged them back out of Hogsmeade, and into the protective shades of the hilled forest. Deep into the woods Dumbledore turned to them, and revealed a rather old and rusted hourglass; it seemed hand-made. The teenagers looked at him in absolute confusion.

"This is called a Time-Turner, and it can return the user back in time depending on how many turns has been made," Dumbledore did his little stare and nod thing before continuing again. "We will use it to give us more time to prepare you for the school year, teach you the works of the wizarding world as well as establish your cover story."

Without warning he muttered a spell that elongated the meager length of twine until it was long enough to encompass the entire group of ninjas. Dumbledore flicked the time-turner once, and instantly everything began to move in a backwards trend. It was as if one of them pushed the rewind button on a remote control. The ninjas stared in awe, and none dared to step out of the twine circle that seemed to have frozen in time.

Not long after everything stopped the time-turner practically combusted, and turned to ash along with the thin rope attached to it. Dumbledore looked forlornly at the dust dwindling from his opened palm, and soon it was gone.

* * *

12th of June - Saturday

The scene was slightly different from before. Trees and leaves had more of a healthy green tinge to them, and the dirt path did not hold their footprints from earlier. They had indeed traveled to the past; how far they had gone, Konoha 13 did not know, but instead their eyes rested on their client, who cleared his throat.

"It would be best if we hurry back into town, and get you lot settled in the hotel," Dumbledore began a fast-paced walk back to the village; the ninjas had no trouble falling into his rhythm.

They whispered and talked casually until they entered an old and quite dingy building. Dumbledore strode up to the front desk, and kindly requested a number of rooms to be rented for the next two to three weeks explaining that a few transfer students from Japan have decided to finish their education in Hogwarts. After retrieving the keys, Dumbledore returned to the group with a ring of keys which he gave to them one individually.

"Dumbledore-_san_, how much w-will we owe you?" Hinata asked as she pocketed her key into an inconspicuous opening in her jacket.

The Headmaster's eyebrows raised beneath his pointed hat, "My dear girl, Hinata. None of you will be paying for anything during your stay here. I will be providing everything you need."

Certain well-mannered people in the group began to protest (i.e.: Sakura, Tenten, Ino, Neji, etc.), while others shrugged it off (i.e.: Kiba, Naruto, Gaara, etc.). _Who wants to turn down free service? _Kiba rolled eyes as he shoved his key down a pocket. The client merely shook his head and said, "Please, it's the least I can do. Besides I have enough to let me live in the life of luxury two times over. Now why don't we all move to the common room?"

He ushered them into a large room with multiple rectangular tables, which he arranged to fit all of them, and a dimming fireplace. Once everyone was settled Dumbledore checked to close any windows or potential openings before casting _Silencio _on the room_. _He then stood by the door, cleared his throat, and motioned for Gaara to retrieve the mission scroll from his pants pocket.

"As you all know, my mission is classed as an S-Rank mission. It is mostly because we will all participate in a war that I know is slowly coming," Dumbledore's voice was deep, and solemn. "But that is only one out of three objectives written in the scroll. The most important one is to guard a young boy named Harry Potter, as well as the other students. That is why I have requested a large number of ninjas, and particularly of your age. I want you to blend in with the students; interact with them - play pranks, study, have fun, but be alert and keep them safe."

As he continued to explain the main objectives, the audience remained deadly quiet. An S-Ranked mission was serious business, and they knew it. Any minuscule mistakes could cost them – advantage over the enemy, success in their mission, or a life.

* * *

**Tenten**

Dumbledore left their presence almost an hour ago to start his research, and the weapon mistress had been massaging her temples with her eyes closed the entire time. War, again. But it was a different war that they absolutely had little to no knowledge, at least as of right now. Dumbledore had told them that he suspected that it won't be for another year or so, but definitely before their three years are up. It was unnerving, though, to anticipate a war.

Wars are not limited to time. It can take months, at the least, but they can also take years. And years take a long time to finish. Tenten shook her head from negative thoughts when the scroll was passed to her. It was new, fresh, and unlike her Twin Dragons scroll, but she skimmed through it and ignored the way her hands twitched as if she wanted to steal it.

_S-Rank Mission_

_Requested by: Albus Dumbledore_

_Time Duration: 2-3 months/3 years_

_Appointed Jobs_

_Team Leader: Subaku Gaara_

_Second-in-Command: Hyūga Neji_

_Strategist: Nara Shikamaru_

_Medic: Hatake Sakura_

**_Major Objectives:_**

_ 1. Protect Harry Potter & the rest of the student body_

_ 2. Aide in the war – Do whatever means necessary_

_ 3. Send one to infiltrate the ranks of Voldemort_

_ -Preferably one sorted Slytherin_

_ -Must be a good actor/actress_

**_Minor-objectives:_**

_ 1. Split yourselves evenly throughout the four houses_

_ 2. Split yourselves into the appropriate years_

_ -September 1__st__ is your guideline_

_ 3. Establish your bloodline (it helps solidify your cover stories)_

_*Some of the terms may not make sense at the moment, but additional information is given afterwards. _

_Whatever information is given must be remembered and committed to memory.*_

**_Need-to-Know Information on Hogwarts Occupants_**

_ 1. Harry James Potter_

… … …

… … …

_ 2. Ronald Bilius "Ron" Weasley_

… … …

… … …

_ 3. Hermione Jean Granger_

… … …

… … …

4. … … … _etc._

**_Recent History_**

… … … _etc._

**_Hogwarts & The Four Houses_**

_ 1. Gryffindor … … … etc._

_ 2. Slytherin … … … etc._

_ 3. Ravenclaw … … … etc._

_ 4. Hufflepuff … … … etc._

**_Blood Purity_**

_ … … … etc._

**_Common Words _**

_ … … … etc._

Tenten slammed her hands down as she read through the section of "Blood Purity." Her eyes narrowed with immense fury. _Pureblood? Mudblood? What kind of nonsensical things are they talking about? _Everyone halted in their activities, and stared warily at her. _Muggle-born witches and wizards are believed to be weaker than Purebloods? _They all knew that Tenten was extremely dangerous when angry, and it was all because of her 100% accuracy. She could throw anything sharp at a person, miss on purpose, and know how many more millimeters it could have taken to hit a target dead center.

"Tenten."

It was Neji calling out to her, but he sounded distant. She was raging inside as she continued to read about "blood-traitors," "mudbloods having dirty blood" or "mudbloods don't deserve magic." It was infuriating, until she felt a pressure around her neck area.

She blacked out.

* * *

**Sakura**

The medic and the other girls watched with worry as Neji lay Tenten on the bed in his room. He sent them a nod that basically told them that he would take care of her, and that they need to go back to the mission debriefing. Sakura did not know how in the world a long message could be transferred through a simple nod, but then again it was Neji. The girls bowed out, and closed the door.

"Oh my _Kami-sama! _Did you see Tenten's face? I've never seen her that angry since… well, you know that time when Neji-san inadvertently and indirectly called her weak…" Ino wondered off, and glanced at Hinata, who was glancing back at the room they just left.

"Y-yeah. Tenten-_san_ can be so passionate sometimes, a-and Neji-_nii-san_ didn't mean it," Hinata sighed.

Sakura watched both of her friends from the corners of her green eyes and said, "Well, that's how she is. You know she hates anything that alludes to women looking weak, or men being stronger. I guess that 'Blood Purity' thing really hit her. It's like her ultimate nightmare in another form. You know?"

Hinata and Ino nodded as they climbed down the stairs to the first floor of the hotel; Sakura continued her theory on Tenten.

"In our worl- … Er… country, blood doesn't matter much. It's either you're strong or weak. Here, blood is everything to them, and Tenten is just seeing it as another version of prejudice in relation to being weak or strong. Right? Muggle-borns are clearly weaker because of their 'dirty' or 'tainted blood' while Purebloods are viewed to have stronger magic naturally, like men have stronger upper muscle than women."

The three girls were half way across the lobby, and a few feet from the common room when Ino stopped to stare at Sakura. Her companions turned around, and gave her a questioning look.

Ino flicked her long bangs before planting her hands on her hips, "You know, Forehead. You seem to be getting pretty good at analyzing people's psyche, which is, of course, my area of expertise. Do you think you have what it takes to step into my field?"

Sakura felt a smirk on her lips, and took a step closer to the blonde, "Oh? Was that a compliment, Pig? Never knew you had it in you. Well… Since you stepped into _my_ turf, I think it's only fair for me to step into yours. Don't you agree?"

"Hmph! We'll see about that, Forehead-girl," Ino brushed past her, and grabbed Hinata's wrist to walk into the common room. "Then I'm assuming that will be our next challenge. Don't forget to call me Ino-_senpai_ when we get back home."

Shaking her pink locks, Sakura wondered how weird her relationship with Ino is. They get into more arguments than best friends should, and they call each other demeaning nicknames. Pig and Forehead? She snorted, and took a seat between Naruto and Ino.

She looked around the room. Everyone sat in their previous chairs before Neji knocked Tenten out, except for Shikamaru, Gaara, and Sasuke. The shadow user occupied the chair on the left hand side next to the head chair, which Gaara was currently sitting at. Neji's seat was left empty next to Gaara. Sakura scanned the table again for Sasuke.

Her brows furrowed, and her lips tightened in a thin line when she did not see him. A slight panic ran through her veins as her emerald eyes frantically searched for every dark corner in the room. He was always there whenever everyone gathered together.

Sasuke was always alone.

Once she spotted him Sakura visibly relaxed; her hands unclenching under the table. She turned her attention to Naruto, and saw that he too had been looking for Sasuke. No one knew just how much Team Seven was struggling; after all, the other teams had their own sets of drama. But she knew, herself, that they needed help soon. It was all becoming too much, and it will all blow up at one point.

She heard Shikamaru clear his throat, "Troublesome… Okay, everyone! I'm going to list who is going into which houses, and years. Then we'll discuss our blood-something or whatever you call it."

All eyes were on him as he shoved his hands in his pockets, and began with the Gryffindor house, "Tenten, Sai, and Kiba are to be in Gryffindor meaning that they'll be with our primary charge. Keep an eye on him, and it's easier to look after him if you befriend him. The Slytherin house will consist of Shino, Sasuke, and Ino. And since one of you has to be a double agent, I suggest Sasuke."

"Hey! Why does it have to Sasuke?" Naruto was already on his feet, and the chair had toppled over a few feet away.

Shikamaru sighed and gave his explanation, "Naruto, Sasuke has experience on the other side. If this Voldemort guy is anything like Orochimaru then he'll know how to act accordingly. I'm sending in someone who knows what do in any situation given."

Sakura felt her heart thundering behind her ribcage. She was thinking as fast as she could to make Shikamaru change his mind, when something clicked in her head, "Sasuke is out of the question."

Gaara had watched the scene play out until he decided to intervene, "Why is that Haruno-_san_?"

"Hatake." She corrected him automatically then said, "Sasuke is still on his two-year probation. He is not to leave anyone else's side until it ends. And since we have no ANBU operatives in this mission it's our job to keep an eye on him."

It was logical, and everyone knew that messing with someone's probation was like going against the Council of Elders, and the Hokage; their ultimate authority. More than half nodded in agreement, not wanting anymore discussion on Sasuke.

Shikamaru muttered under his breath and asked in a tired tone, "Fine. So who's going to be the agent? I've thought about all of the possibilities. Although Shino is a likable candidate, he's too quiet and Voldemort might question you for it. And Ino is just… No. I've thought about Neji, but I highly doubt that he'll be in Slytherin."

Out of the corner of her eye Sakura saw Ino snap her attention to Shikamaru.

"What do you mean 'just no,' Shikamaru? Are you saying that I don't have the skills to be a double agent?" Ino's voice was cold, that it froze Sakura and baffled everyone else.

That was a different Ino. Regularly when Shikamaru was dealing out roles, and he kept his female teammate in the back Ino would start a commotion. She would use her loud voice to its maximum potential until he conceded. _Shikamaru must've done something to make her angry,_ thought Sakura as she continued to observe her best friend.

Although completely confused with Ino's behavior, Shikamaru answered, "It's not that you don't have the skills, Ino. It's just- "

"Just what, Shikamaru? It's just that I'm a girl, and I need to be protected? You need someone in the inside, and I know my skills. My acting skills surpass everyone else's, and you know I'm the perfect one to do the job. You know what… _Everyone_ knows I'm perfect." Ino got up and was about to exit when she looked over shoulder, "Keep in mind Hokage-sama's little note, Shikamaru - Do whatever means necessary."

Everyone was silent.

_Apparently they haven't seen that side of Ino yet._ Sakura sighed and rested her head on her hand while Gaara recommenced the meeting. The remaining people have been sorted into the last two houses. She, Naruto, and Hinata were to be sorted into Hufflepuff because of their fair play, loyalty, and kindness according to what Shikamaru was predicting. Then Neji, Gaara, and Shikamaru will be in Ravenclaw.

It didn't take long for Shikamaru to also split them into their respective years depending on their birthdays. Neji, Tenten, and Sai were sixth year students since they were the oldest. And the fifth year group, which held the most of Konoha 13, consisted of Sasuke, Kiba, Sakura, Shino, and Gaara. The rest were fourth years (i.e.: Shikamaru, Ino, Naruto, and Hinata.) The next issue to be sorted wasn't that difficult to organize either, until it came to Sakura.

"Both my parents are ninjas! Why am I not in the Pureblood group?"

Shikamaru slide down in his chair, and pinched the bridge of his nose while Sakura glared at him. _I bet he's thinking, 'this is so troublesome' or 'girls are so troublesome.' I don't know what Ino sees him._

"Because you're living with civilians, Sakura, and that makes you a muggle-born. Didn't we already discuss the requirements to be that if you _lived_ with both ninja parents then you're a Pureblood, that if you lived with one ninja and one civilian parent then you're a half-blood, and in your case – that if you lived with both civilian parents then you're automatically put into the muggle-born category?"

Sakura gritted her teeth, "I know that I'm living with civilians right now, but I know who my parents are! You know that I was going to move in with my dad soon."

"We all know that Hatake Kakashi is your blood father, but I'm just going with who you were living with before we left for this mission, okay? So just calm down, and deal with being a muggle-born. It doesn't really say anything about your parentage." Shikamaru hoped the explanation would placate the glaring girl.

"Okay, fine. I'll be a muggle-born. Whatever, I'm going to find Ino." Sakura walked out with Hinata tailing after her.

Shikamaru banged his head on the table.

"Meeting adjourned."

* * *

**Ino**

The lithe blonde walked the streets of Hogsmeade in fury. She couldn't believe her teammate. After all her rigorous training, he still wouldn't put her out in the field. _Girl, my ass!_ Ino stamped her foot on the ground, and sat down on a lone bench in the middle of the train station. How far she had walked, she didn't know.

"Wow! You look even more pissed than Tenten, Pig."

"Hey, watch it! I wasn't that angry."

"Yeah, right! Neji-_san_ had to knock you out so don't you tell me you weren't that mad."

"_A-ano…_ Please don't fight."

Ino lazily turned her head to the right, and raised an eyebrow at her three friends, "Ah! Tenten, you're awake. When?"

The weapon mistress sighed and took a seat next to the blonde, "I guess I woke up when the meeting ended. I was about to head in with Neji when Sakura almost bashed my head in with the door, and then Hinata came out afterwards. I followed her, and Neji went in the common room to get the information himself. Well, enough about me! What about you? I heard you stormed out of the meeting?"

Somehow all four girls managed to squeeze into one small bench, and Ino began her rant, "Stupid Shikamaru! He was being sexist, saying things like 'you can't do it' or 'you're a girl,' and all that junk. I mean really, I trained hard ever since I tied with Sakura after our first Chū- … I mean our first practical magic exam. And he was all like being macho, and manly like whatever. I bet he would have sent that Sand girl what's-her-face name to do the infil- play." Ino let out a growl, "You know?"

Hinata spoke softly, "Ino-_san_, Shikamaru-_san_ d-didn't say all that stuff; you did. And her name is Temari-_san. _I heard that she could only handle one role at a time rather than two*, w-which we all know you can do. "

Ino turned to her and stared until her eyes softened, "Yeah, I know that Hinata, but he's just so… urgh! But he got all gooey-mushy when they were saying bye to each other at our departure. And I know I was being so…"

Hinata scrunched her eyebrows together, "But he only nodded and waved a hand to her."

"Bitchy?" Tenten supplied, ignoring Hinata's confusion.

"Yeah…"Ino agreed, reluctantly.

"Jealously Piggish?" Sakura tease as she swung an arm over her shoulder.

Ino threw her a half-hearted glare and changed the subject, "But he put me in Slytherin! Do I look like a Slytherin? You know what… never mind. What happened after I left?"

Hinata decided to fill in when it looked like Sakura wasn't going to say anything, "W-well, we predicted that Naruto-_kun_, Sakura-_san_, and I will be in Hufflepuff. And Neji-_nii-san, _Shikamaru-_san_, and Kazekage-_sama_ will be in Ravenclaw. Oh! And Tenten_-san_, you'll be in Gryffindor with Sai and Kiba."

The dark-haired girl paused, and waited for any questions but none came so she continued, "We w-were split up into sixth, fifth, and fourth years. The oldest o-ones, meaning Tenten-_san, _Neji-_nii-san_, and Sai-_san_, are sixth years, and those are fifteen now are in fifth years, and the youngest ones are fourth years. M-meaning that would be me, Ino_-san_, Naruto-_kun_, and Shikamaru-_san_."

"Ugh! This sucks. I knew having our birthdays within one day of each other was a bad thing," Ino complained.

Sakura pinched her friend's cheek, "Whatever, Ino! You were gushing about it when you realized you had a crush on him."

Before Ino could reply back, Tenten said, "Okay, okay. Moving on. I need to know this information guys."

Ino begrudgingly stayed quiet when Hinata started again, "U-uhm… The next thing we went over was the Blood Purity section. We just split ourselves up by who're we living with. Those with ninja parents are Purebloods, one civilian and one ninja parents are half-bloods, and the ones with both civilians are muggle-born. A-and that's about it besides Sakura_-san_ blowing up on Shikamaru_-san_ because he wouldn't let her be a Pureblood since she was still living with her civilian family."

Ino and Tenten busted out laughed while Sakura fumed. They all stood up from the little bench, and began exploring the little village. They visited 'Gladrags Wizardwear,' which they left after a picking up a screaming sock, then they wandered around 'Tomes and Scrolls' looking for any books they found interesting.

At the end of the day, the girls were relatively in a good mood when they returned to the inn.

* * *

*: You guys are probably wondering what Hinata was talking about when she told Ino that Temari could only handle one role. She was just playing off of Ino's cover about the infiltration. She meant that Temari couldn't do an infiltration mission unlike Ino, who had been trained to be a double agent. That's what I meant about "one role" or "two roles."

Anyways, I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter. Please tell me what you liked, or what confused you. Thank you!


	4. Two Weeks  Prt 2

Hi everyone! I'm so sorry for the extremely late update. I know I promised you guys a weekly or bi-weekly update, but I didn't live up to it. I have no excuses except that I was lazy, and at some point while I was writing this chapter it deviated from my outline.

* * *

Silver Lining

Chapter Four: Two Weeks – Part Two

**McGonagall**

13th of June – Sunday

It was early morning, around eight. The Transfiguration teacher quickly flooed over to the Hogsmeade hotel, and nodded to the clerk before making her way to the common room. She had her usual stern expression painting her old visage, but she was excited if not overwhelmingly curious.

Yesterday, Dumbledore had told her that a group of young individuals from Japan were transferring over to Hogwarts to further develop their education. Then she snorted as she thought back to his cryptic answer. She had asked her superior why he had agreed to the transfer when everyone was in turmoil about the safety and security of Hogwarts. Cedric Diggory's death worried a many children's parents about the dangers shadowing the school.

Dumbledore had gone rigid as he placed a book on top of a stack on the table – they had been currently in the library – a dark feeling seemed to hug his form like a blanket. He looked straight into her eyes without the annoying twinkle and answered, "I believe that we should exert all our resources to help these young children, after all… their own knowledge will help us well into the future."

Seconds later the dark feeling was gone, and Dumbledore had a full blown smile behind his long beard, "Besides it was on a whimsical whim. You should meet them soon Minerva, they are such a delight. In fact, you should visit them tomorrow morning m'dear!

I haven't the time to renew their translation spell, nor shop for any clothes that would suit them. You wouldn't mind running those errands would you, Minerva dear? There are too many other things I need to attend to."

Although she was a bit reluctant to accept such a task, she agreed and her boss immediately began to spout their names, height, and other miscellaneous bits of information. Before she left him in peace McGonagall commented on his unusual presence in the library.

"Leisure research, m'dear," he responded.

She shook her head, and politely knocked on the door. A muffled 'come in' reached her ears before she turned the knob, and allowed herself in. McGonagall pursed her lips, mentally counting their total. There are ten present – two were missing.

A deep voice startled her, "Yes?"

Her eyes zoned in on a boy with deep red locks, and chilling aquamarine eyes. He was settled at the head of the table while the others occupied the area around him – some sat erect with rapt attention, and others slouched but with their eyes clearly on the red head.

McGonagall's attention roamed over the others, and began to disapprove quite a few of their features. From the left hand side of the head was a boy with earrings, and a girl with pink hair. She raised an eyebrow and continued to look over them. McGonagall pursed her lips into a thin, tight line to stop herself from clicking her tongue on a rough looking boy with red triangular tattoos on his cheeks, and a blind girl with lilac colored contacts – it seemed to wholly cover the pupils as they were not visible. Her eyes then glazed over the two empty right hand seats connecting to the head of the table, and found her attention again on their leader.

"Good morning, transfer students," she greeted, "I am Minerva McGonagall, and I will be your Transfiguration professor. Headmaster Dumbledore has informed me that you are under the translation spell, and I shall be renewing it right now as well as provide you with wizarding clothes."

With that said McGonagall walked crisply to the empty side of the table, retrieved two tiny bags from her pocket, and set on them on the table. A quick wand motion and a muttered spell seconds later, the items grew to the size of overloaded sacks, much like one Santa Claus would have. One bag consisted of female clothing – silk gowns to be exact – and the other sack had an assortment of colored robes – also silk – for the young men. She levitated each of the clothes separately, and began to call out the names on the tags.

All of the teenagers stared at the wizard clothing with uncertainty, but McGonagall paid them no attention. She had a set amount of things to do, and one of the tasks assigned might take an entire day or more to be done. With an honest plead in her mind she hoped that it would not be so.

As she was about to hand out the fourth robe, which had an atrocious orange color ingrained with yellow suns, to an excited blonde the door opened to reveal the two missing children. She spared them a quick glance before placing the robe onto Naruto's awaiting arms. After McGonagall issued out one more robe, she strode over to the late comers and met them halfway across the room. The pair dipped their heads in acknowledgement while McGonagall introduced herself once more.

"… Since I will be your Transfigurations professor, I expect you address me as Professor McGonagall, or simply Professor. Now please state your names so I know who you are, and how to call your names when the sorting begins. Starting with you Miss… "

McGonagall had her attention on the girl with the two buns on top of her head, who replied with a bright smile, "Tenten."

"Just… Tenten?" McGonagall asked with a raised eyebrow. "You don't have a surname Ms. Tenten?"

Tenten shook her head, the smile still on her face. The teacher returned the unconcerned expression with a smile of her own before turning to the other teenager.

She eyed the long brown hair, which was smooth and shiny, as well as the same whiteness the other girl had, although this one had a pastel blue tinge to the contacts. Their eyes connected, and McGonagall felt a chill travel throughout her body; it was creepy to meet the eyes of the blind.

"And what's your name, young lady?"

McGonagall blinked in surprise as well as confusion when the white-blue orbs hardened like steel, and a baritone voice came from seemingly feminine lips.

"I'm a man."

* * *

**Dumbledore**

3:33 AM, Dusk – 14th of June – Monday

Lies generally lead to embarrassing or dire situations – most of the time, some people are just plain lucky. White lies, in particular, are another matter. They are usually minor or harmless, and are never meant to deceive with ill feelings. At least that's what Dumbledore was hoping his lies came out to be. He prayed to Merlin that they would not come back to haunt him, even if they held no malicious intentions.

Dumbledore marked a page in the book before closing it, and placed it next to an already tall pile of other books. With his thumb and index finger, he pushed his glasses up and began to massage the bridge of his nose. The Headmaster let out a tired sigh before standing up and leaving the seat that had been his for the last two days.

Ever since he left the Konoha ninjas at the hotel, Dumbledore had been researching and experimenting on translation spells. It wasn't until earlier in the day that he discovered that he needed to cast two permanent spells. The first one he would have to use was _Lingua Exsisto Infinitus_; it was a permanent spell that ensures the primary language of the target can never be forgotten. _Infinitus Lingua Reddo_ was the second spell, and it was a variation of the _Lingua Reddo_ spell. The effects were the same, but this time Dumbledore, or rather McGonagall would not have to wake up early in the morning to reapply it since the translation spell would be permanent.

"Albus?" McGonagall emerged from the corridor behind him with her hair loose, and a distinctive tiredness around her.

He swiveled around in surprise, "Minerva! How good to see you, although you do look a bit worse for the wear. Were the children that charming and full of energy?"

McGonagall chose to ignore the comment about her present state and the question, "I could say the same to you, Albus. How long has it been since you've last slept? The final feast is tonight, and Mr. Potter will be leaving the day after."

The mention of Harry Potter caused Dumbledore to frown. He knew what McGonagall was asking even though it was left unsaid. Where will Harry live? Now that Voldemort is on the loose, he could not take any chances in letting Harry go gallivanting his way around London.

Communication could also be fatal if any of the Death Eaters were to get their hands on various letters and such. Multiple worse case scenarios flashed through his mind as he thought about Harry receiving fake letters about his friends, or anyone close to him, calling desperately for his help. Dumbledore shook his head to rid him of a particularly motionless Harry from his mind, and with a resolute decision – any communication with Harry Potter this summer will be denied.

_It's to protect him._ The Headmaster chanted in his mind. He knew though, that deep down it was wrong to cut him off from people who would support him, and take his mind off of things that he didn't have control over. Nevertheless he forced himself to smile at his colleague.

"Yes, yes. I have no doubt that Mr. Potter will return to where he is most protected."

Dumbledore could see the heated anger in McGonagall's eyes. The disapproval, the confusion, and a rare underlying of unwanted hatred poured from the glare. He could not blame her.

If he were in her position then he too would probably be thinking of ways to prevent Harry from returning to the Dursley's. But he couldn't, not when the blood wards will keep Harry safe. It was absolute protection; the strongest magic any a witch or wizard could produce. They would keep Harry safe from Voldemort and his minions.

Despite the muggles being undeniably cruel, Dumbledore knew that they will never cause Harry physical harm. In their own twisted and sick way, the Dursley's were protecting him. They kept him hidden in the house, and despised anything abnormal around their house. _Yes, they will keep him safe._ Dumbledore thought somberly.

His second-in-command regarded him for a moment, "… Well then, I see that you have no intention of removing Mr. Potter from those horrid muggles –"

He nodded.

"– As such, I will be visiting him regularly."

Dumbledore made subtle jerky movement at her statement, but he conceded only if she were to remain in her Animagus form. Then from there they talked about the transfer students, and how McGonagall found them quite odd.

"The muggle-borns," she started, "I understand their lack of knowledge about our magical world, but the others – the purebloods and half-bloods – are quite a surprise. They know next to nothing about magic. They don't even have wands! And dear Merlin! One of the muggle-born children is quite obsessed with the blood purity."

The Headmaster laughed, "That is precisely why they have come here to further their education, and to learn about another country's culture, Minerva. They approach magic through the use of hand signs or something rather. And a muggle-born excited about blood purity, you say?"

She nodded, "Her name is Miss Tenten…"

Dumbledore listened to his deputy headmistress's observations about the transfer students before expertly closing the conversation; it was almost daylight after all, and he needed to catch a few hours of sleep before visiting Hogsmeade.

* * *

1:24 PM, Early-Afternoon – 14th of June – Monday

The Headmaster walked with haste towards the common room. He was late. Dumbledore hoped that at least one of the ninja had remained in the hotel. And his hopes were not crushed. Sitting at her usual seat, third down from the left of the table head, Sakura was switching grips on a pen feather.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Hatake. I see you're having trouble with our writing utensils."

His greeting startled the young woman as she was quick on her feet and was in a battle stance. Dumbledore gave a hearty chuckle before take a seat near her, and gestured for her to take a seat as well.

"Now Ms. Hatake, I many questions for you about your _chakra_ and it will help me construct the conversion devices." He waited for her response, but then noticed that she was looking at him in a quizzical manner. He had forgotten to apply the translation charm on himself. "Merlin's beard! Forgive me Ms. Hatake. _Lingua Reddo._"

"_Ah! Dumbledore-san. Thank you for coming. I was wondering when someone was going to renew our translation er… charms."_ She was still in the process of getting used to their terminology._ "Oh! And I recognized that you said something about chakra. This has something to do with converting our chakra into magic right?"_ Then Sakura began to shoot off facts about chakra.

With a quick movement of his wand, Dumbledore summoned a quick-quill and parchment from his small hip bag. The quick-quill wrote furiously as Sakura described what chakra basically are, the different types of chakra, and how ninjas work to create a larger reserve.

Dumbledore looked over the freshly inked parchment before addressing Sakura, "_Hatake-san, just to be sure, chakra is basically made up of two basic energies within the body – physical and spiritual energy, correct? And another source of energy is nature's energy?_"

Sakura gave a firm nod, and waited for Dumbledore to speak about his theory. The lines on his forehead wrinkled even more as he pondered on how chakra and magic can relate to each other. Both subjects were complicated, but he can get to that later.

"_Hatake-san. Would you please demonstrate on your use of chakra? And if possible, contact our fellow shinobi. I have completed the permanent translation charms."_

"_Yes, Dumbledore-san."_ In fast successive blurs, Sakura created a duplicate of herself which she then told to gather everyone else. "_Was that okay, Dumbledore-san?"_

The Headmaster nodded his head absently. He had felt it; the magic. Well, not necessarily magic, but something was there. He had felt the "normal" chakra, and now he needed to experience nature's energy. It was seconds later that the room was now filled with the missing children.

"_Ah! It's absolutely delightful to see everyone today. And good news, I have completed the permanent translation charms."_ Dumbledore stood, and walked to a spacious part of the room, "_Now, if everyone could get in a line then I will cast two translation charms. The first is to make sure that your primary language cannot be forgotten before I apply the modified version of the original translation charm."_

With that he cancelled the translation charm from himself, and promptly began to cast the charms. Five minutes passed before he was done with everyone, and he concluded that his theories were right. The ninjas were freely switching from English to Japanese. He clapped his hands in a jaunty way to gain their attention.

"Well, that's all for today m'dear children. But I need one more favor… Mr. Uzumaki, would you please demonstrate your nature _chakra_ for me please?"

Naruto stared at him with questioning eyes, "What nature _chakra_ are you talking about, _Ojii-san_?"

Dumbledore was dumbfounded. He was sure that Sakura had told him that Naruto was the only one to access nature's energy. The properties of nature's energy were a sure way to connect their normal _chakra_ to magic, he was positive about it. The Headmaster was shook out of his thoughts when Naruto yelled out.

"_Itai, Sakura-chan! _Why'd you hit me?" Naruto had a pout on his lips, and he was rubbing his upper arm.

"Idiot! He was talking about the nature's energy that is mixed in with your Sage Mode." Sakura sighed when her teammate caught on.

Everyone shook their heads. Typical Naruto.

"I presume that you are ready to perform then, Mr. Uzumaki?" Dumbledore asked.

Naruto let out an embarrassed laugh, and took on the stage. Dumbledore watched in fascination as the boy stood rock-still, and the magic started to come off of him in pulsing waves. This was it. The "sage mode" they had been talking about definitely had magic in it, although it also felt a bit off. It was like when he felt the normal chakra. There was a trace of some sort of magical energy, but something was either hindering it or covering it up.

Then it came to him. _If normal chakra is made up of physical and spiritual energy, and the sage mode is made up of that plus nature's energy… then one of the beginning energies is not needed to use magic, but which one?_ Dumbledore thanked Naruto and Sakura for their demonstration, and left his hired help to form his theory on the relationship between chakra and magic.

* * *

**Harry**

3:22 PM, Mid-Afternoon – 14th of June – Monday

He slipped out of the Great Hall with a relieved breathe. It had become too suffocating in there. The stares, the attempt to comfort, and the constant lies were finally bringing him down. Harry Potter ignored everyone who made a pass at him as he made his way towards the library. He knew it was closed, but he hoped that the door was still unlocked.

It wasn't, so he took his wand and muttered a quick _alohomora._ The large door was surprisingly quiet as it was pushed open. Harry looked around and to his satisfaction, no one was around. He walked aimlessly around the library, but kept clear of the restricted section. When he was about to take a seat on a nice plush chair, he discovered a figure slumped on top of a nearby table. _How could I have not noticed that?_ Harry thought to himself as he made his way over to the table filled with stacked books and strewn parchment.

Once he was at the table, Harry immediately recognized the man sleeping away. _Professor Dumbledore?_ The boy made a move to wake him up until he began to take in the Headmaster's appearance. Dark circles wrapped around closed eyes, frazzled silvery white hair looked ever more frazzled, his glasses were askew on his crooked nose, and his hat lay on its side, partially crushed by a stack of books.

_Merlin's beard! It looks like Professor Dumbledore hasn't slept a wink for months._ Harry took a step back, and made his way towards the exit of the library. _Best to leave now when he's still asleep, than when he's awake._ Carefully, he closed the doors of the library and let out a satisfied sigh when he knew he was clear of being caught.

"Harry? What are you doing here?" A voice called to him.

Harry spun around and slammed his back against the doors in surprise; he gasped. There, standing before him, was Albus Dumbledore and he looked absolutely refreshed. _What the bloody hell is going on here?_ He was positive that the man sleeping in the library was the headmaster.

* * *

**Dumbledore**

6:24 PM, Evening – 26th of June – Saturday

Sitting comfortably in the carriage, Dumbledore smiled cheekily at his deputy, who returned his smile with a sour look. After the students had left the castle and he was sure that his past self had gone to the ninja's dimension, Dumbledore confessed to McGonagall that the transfer students she was attending to for the past two weeks were actually the hired ninja. She did not handle the truth well.

The thestral drawn carriages jostled and jerked as it landed in the open space just outside of Hogsmeade. Dumbledore stepped down from the carriage and turned around to assist McGonagall, but his offer was coldly refused as she strode towards the group of waiting teenagers. Not at all bothered by her behavior Dumbledore made his towards the crowd, a dull thumping sound accompanied him.

"Good evening to you all! I'm quite excited to have you all finally come to Hogwarts." His tone was full of delight as he retrieved a bag from his long sleeves. "And I have everyone's present!"

Technically they weren't presents, but he decorated them as such. A week and a half back, he had sent them an owl asking if they wanted to have a certain design on to their converting items. Not long afterward, he received a stack of drawings (courtesy of Sai). He handed each ninja a single small box wrapped in festive paper. He returned to the front, and found that everyone had already ripped their presents open. The girls were squealing and admiring their presents while the male portion looked at them with shining eyes.

Dumbledore cleared his throat for their attention, "These items are obviously your magic converting devices. To activate it is very simple, but I warn you… it is considered dark magic. You can deny using such methods, but you will have to be dropped from this mission. So think hard, and I implore you to not let it slip on how you acquired such things if you so agree."

Konoha 13 remained silent, waiting for further instructions. None of them had any intention of dropping. Dumbledore solemnly nodded, "First off, you must smear your item with your blood. Then you are to put the item on, and say your full name. Given name followed by your surname. And for those of you who don't have surnames then simply state your name. From there try to focus your _chakra_ into your item."

The ninjas didn't move a muscle, and stared at the headmaster with an incredulous look. Which part of the activation was dark magic? Sensing their confusion Dumbledore explained, "Using your blood to create something is considered dark magic. When you use blood, it can mean disastrous things like forfeiting a part of your magic, or it can be used to control you."

Some had awed expressions on their faces while others simply shrugged at the explanation. McGonagall stood to the side and watched with horror as the ninjas bit their thumbs without hesitation, and smeared their blood nonchalantly onto their item. Dumbledore simply stood to the side with the same solemn air around him, and bright flashes engulfed the area as the converting devices were activated.

All of Konoha 13 now sported some sort of jewelry.

The Headmaster clapped his hands in joy, his seriousness was gone, "Now that we've all been 'wizardized,' let's get to Hogwarts! Four to a carriage please."

There were four carriages in all. The first carriage housed Team Seven; the second carriage was filled with Team Eight and Gaara, while the third carriage was occupied by the rest of Team Gai and Team Ten. And the last carriage was seated by Dumbledore and McGonagall, who looked mildly sick.

"Albus, may I ask you a question?" McGonagall's eyes were locked onto Kiba's form as he was petting a thestral.

Dumbledore faced her with a twinkle in his eye and said, "You already have m'dear Minerva, but I can grant you another opportunity to ask a second question."

She shot him a glare from the corner of her eyes, but nevertheless asked her itching question, "I know that they're ninjas, Albus, but have they already seen death? They're far too young to be caught in our war."

"In their dimension Minerva, they become an adult as soon as they graduate the academy and by then they're already twelve years old." The Headmaster gave her a stern look, "They've been in operation for three to four years now. And as for wars, Minerva, this is their second time."

McGonagall stiffly nodded as they began to fly through the air, and she could see the children's face through the window. At that moment they were acting like proper children. Their eyes lit up in fascination as they glided above the forbidden forest, and they were pointing at things below them in excitement. _How could they have gone through war already?_

* * *

And that's the end of the fourth chapter! Yay! The next chapter covers their reactions, and such to Hogwarts. Watch Konoha 13 meet the staff, get into trouble (with Filch), annoy Snape, and their struggles in an attempt to use magic.

_Lingua Exsisto Infinitus: _Language be infinite.

_Infinitus Lingua Reddo: _Infinite language translate.

Hope you all liked the sneak peak of Harry! So... again, please PM me if you're confused about something. AND constructive criticism is absolutely welcome.


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